The Party
by JazzTheMage
Summary: Jughead and Betty crash Cheryl's party to look for clues regarding Jason's death. But will Jughead be able to battle his feelings for Betty at the same time? My first fanfic!
1. Part 1

It was just another day at the Blue and Gold student newspaper, and one Mr. Jughead Jones was distracted, for perhaps the first time in his life. Across from him sat Betty Cooper, his co-publisher and perfect woman. Her forehead was puckered in deep concentration, and she was biting her strawberry lips. She looked utterly kissable, and to Jughead, she looked perfect. Betty was in a deep discussion with Reggie Mantle, their sports correspondent and overall asshole. Jughead narrowed his eyes as Reggie leaned closer to her, under the pretense of pointing something out on his laptop.

"Juggie? Earth to Juggie?"

Jughead was shaken from his reverie and gave a smiled lightly, as he replied "What's up?"

" Do you want to go to Cheryl's house tonight to look for more clues? She's having a party and Reggie said he can get us in."

Jughead leaned back in his chair and snorted "Oh sure, Betts, I'm really looking forward to go to that hunted house tonight. Should I bring my holy water to ward off the demons?"

Betty rolled her eyes and giggled "Oh come on Juggie, It's not that bad."

"Well then, dear Betts, you have not met Cheryl's grandmother. I'm fairly certain she's possessed"

Reggie got up from his chair and stretched "okay, as much as your banter is entertaining, some of us have practice." He smiled at Betty before continuing "I'll see you at the party, Betty. Later, Donnie Darko. " Betty blushed and nodded. Reggie smirked at Jughead and before striding out of the room.

Betty picked up her back and headed to the door "Coming, Juggy? We need to get you a suit before tonight, and I think one of Chic's will probably fit you"

"I wouldn't mind, but would the she-demon approve of having a boy in the house?"

"My parents are out of town for a news conference, Juggy so there's no need to be scared."

"I'm not scared! " Jughead insisted "I just think it's better to not confront her, like ever"

Betty smiled slightly, before turning around and heading to the door. Jughead grabbed his bag and ambled out behind her. They slowly made their way to Betty's house, chatting animatedly about their articles. The Blue and Gold was a long dormant newspaper before Jughead and Betty reanimated it, so they felt proud, and also protective of their project. As they entered Betty's home, Jughead smiled at how utterly normal it looked. It certainly did not give any indication towards the madmen that were Hal and Alice Cooper. Betty slipped off her backpack and headed up the stairs calling out, " there's drinks and snacks in the pantry if you want some, Juggy. I'm going to go grab Chic's suits."

Jughead peered into the pantry, before grabbing chips and a bottle of lemonade. He settled down on the couch as he waited for Betty to return. She did, moments later, carrying a garment bag, which she thrust towards Jughead "Here, Juggy, this will probably fit you. I think Reggie said it was a formal party, so this should work."

Jughead gingerly carried the bag as he went into the bathroom. As he slipped into the suit he stared into the mirror. Betty could be friends with anyone she wanted. She was smart, beautiful, and a cheerleader to boot. Yet, for whatever reason, she chose him. Jughead finished buttoning the suit, and came back into the living room, where Betty was watching TV. Betty looked at him, and grinned broadly "Juggy, you look amazing! You do clean up quite well."

Jughead smiled back at her and deadpanned "I've always been a fashionista, Betty, didn't you know?"

Betty giggled as she got up from her spot, replying "Let me get ready really quick and we can head out" Jughead nodded, and settled himself on the couch with his laptop, beginning the long revision process for his new article, all the while munching away on the chips. About a half an hour later he heard a rustle near the stairs. He looked up and was shocked at what he saw. Betty was dressed in a powder blue dress, that perfectly hugged her curves. Her hair was down, and surrounded her face in a halo of blonde ringlets. She looked like an ethereal princess, and Jughead was utterly mesmerized. She smiled shyly at Jughead , who breathed "you- you look beautiful".

Her eyes lit up as she smiled more broadly, and the pair made their way out of the house. Betty drove them to the Blossom's house, which was at the edge of town. While she talked about various banal subjects, Jughead found it difficult to tear his eyes away from her. Soon they reached the Blossom residence, and as they got out, It loomed above them, a great behemoth, lurking in the shadows. They looked at each other, and Jughead could see a flicker of apprehension in Betty's eyes. He slipped his hand into hers and said "Let's go Juliet, we have a party to crash." She gave him a slight smile and the pair slowly walked into the dark mansion, unsure of what laid ahead.


	2. Part 2

_(AN: Thank you to YuyuHaj and the Guest Reviewer for your Amazing Reviews! If you like this story, please do consider reviewing it, it means so much to me. Thanks also to all of you that have added my story to your favorites; It really means a lot to me :) . Now, on to Chapter 2!)_

As they stepped into the entryway, Jughead felt the chill and the gloom that pervaded the room. Betty shivered and moved closer to him, making his cheeks warm up as he wrapped his arm around her to keep her warm. As they walked further and further down the hall, they could hear the pounding beats of the music

"Juggy, did you bring the flashlights?" whispered Betty as they made their way down the hallway.

"Yeah" Jughead replied softly, giving her arm an affectionate squeeze. As they reached the end of the dark tunnel, they spotted Reggie, with a glass of what appeared to be vodka in his hand. He caught sight of the pair standing at the entrance of the room, and made his way into the darkness. As he approached them, he let out a quite wolf whistle.

"Damn, Betty, you look great!" he said, winking at her. She blushed, and smiled in thanks. He then directed his gaze towards a glowering Jughead "Well hello there, Eeyore." Jughead scowled and bit back "I would say it's nice to see you too Reggie, but that would be a lie, now wouldn't it."

Betty noticed the frowns spreading on their faces so she quickly interjected "Okay, Reggie, can you give us directions to Jason's room?" he turned and smiled at her "Oh yeah definitely, Betty. Take the stairs to your right, and his room is the first one on the left. I'll try to keep Cheryl away from the two of you, okay?" Betty smiled gratefully, before dragging Jughead up the stairs. Once they reached the top, she stopped and turned around, crossing her arms as she glared at Jughead. "What was that about Juggy?" Jughead shrugged and shoulders and replied defensively "That guy's an asshole Betty, anyone with eyes can see that!" She sighed in frustration and raked her hands through her hair before replying "He's a nice guy if you get to know him, Juggy. I don't really know why you don't want to do that. " She shook her head before carefully pushing open the door to Jason's room. It was painted blue, and looked like any other teenage boy's room : posters and pictures on the wall, trophies on the desk, and an unkempt bed. Betty turned to Jughead" Juggy, where does a guy hide stuff? " Instinctively, Jughead replied " Under the mattresses, maybe in the drawers, behind the headboard, in the closet." Jughead strode over to the tiny closet and opened it, coughing as a plume of dust emerged from it. He handed betty a flashlight and together, they began to search the closet. As Betty searched the drawers, she found a small black box, and opened it. Inside, she found a diamond ring; It looked vintage, and there was an inscription in Latin on the inside. She gasped and whisper-shrieked "Juggy! I found a ring!"

Jughead turned towards her in shock and gingerly took the box from her hands. He lifted the cushion with the ring out of the box and found two pieces of paper that were folded up into small squares. He took the first one out and opened it. It was written in black ink, in neat, polished handwriting. Jughead took a deep breath and began to read "Hey Polls, It's me. I'm sorry I couldn't send you a text, or a call. I feel like our parents can track our phones and besides, it's better to be on the safe side. I'm giving you this ring, which was my Nana's, as a promise that I love you. " Jughead paused momentarily as he heard Betty's choked sob, and moved closer to her, before continuing, "Once you read this message though, reply to me on the back, and give me the box. I can imagine the repercussions if your parents found this. As we discussed, let's meet on the banks of Sweetwater River, on the morning of the fourth of July. We'll head to my car from there. Love you, Jason" Jughead looked over at betty, whose eyes were wide open in shock as she looked up at him. Jughead quickly flipped the paper over and scanned the contents "Betty, Polly must have replied to this, see?"

Betty silently nodded, her mind lost in thought. She looked back at him and whispered "Juggy, what about the second paper?" Jughead nodded and took out the second sheet. It was the size of a notecard, and on it was dark , untidy writing. Betty leaned over Jughead's shoulder and read aloud "Here's the deal, kid. Come over to the Serpent's Bar tomorrow, and we'll hand you the goods to deliver. We'll be watching you though, so don't try anything smart" Betty gasped and took a step back, her mind reeling. Was Jason doing drugs? Why would he need to work with the serpents. Jughead answered her question, as if he was reading her mind "Maybe he was trying to make money to escape, Betts". She nodded; that was the most logical explanation.

Suddenly the bedroom door rattled. Jughead gasped and pulled betty into the closet, shutting the door firmly. As soon as the closet door closed, it was pretty apparent that it was a tight fit for the pair. Jughead found himself standing uncomfortably close to Betty, his hands resting on her hips. He could smell her strawberry lip gloss and her vanilla perfume. The bedroom door swung open and through the slats of the closet door, Jughead could see Cheryl, her fiery red hair glinting dangerously under the lights. She looked around, as if she suspected someone of entering her precious brother's room. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she left the room, but not before locking the door. Betty looked at Jughead in despair before frantically beginning "Shit, Juggy, she's locked us in here! How do we get out now? This is the worst thing that could happen." Jughead placed his hands on her shoulders and whispered urgently "Shhh, nothing's going to happen, Betty, We'll get out. Just calm down, we'll find a solution to this." She shook her head violently and continued "What if we die in here? Huh? I can already see the paper headlines." As she continued her tirade, Jughead looked at her in despair, not really knowing what to do or even say. Even with her dripping mascara and unruly mess of a hair, she looked beautiful. Suddenly, Jughead knew what to do. He cupped her face in his hands and gently kissed her. Her lips were soft, and comforting and tasted of strawberries, and salt. Betty was shocked to say the least, but leaned in, and closed her eyes, deepening the kiss. After what seemed like hours, they broke apart, breathing heavily, and staring each other in the eyes. "Well," Jughead began awkwardly, "Let's find a way out of here"


	3. Part 3

Jughead rattled the handle of the closet, but it did not budge. He groaned, and laid his head on the door. Betty removed a bobby pin from her hair and crouched by the handle. After fiddling with the lock for a while, she finally managed to get it open. The burst out of the closet, panting. After a moment, Jughead began awkwardly "so, we should probably get out of here, Betts" Betty nodded, and the pair made their way out of the room. They quickly slipped down the stairs, and out of the house.

The pair was silent as they drove home. Betty was stressed, gripping the steering wheel so white her knuckles were white. Jughead's mind was racing. What had he done? Sure, it was one of the best moments of his life but he was pretty sure he'd effectively ruined his friendship with Betty. After what seemed like an eternity, they pulled up to Betty's house. They got out and trudged towards the door.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow then, at the Blue and Gold."

"Yeah, ok. Goodnight Juggy"

"See you Betty"

He waited for her to go inside, before crossing her yard towards Archie's house. He let himself in with his key, and crept in trying to make as little noise as possible. As he walked into the kitchen, he found Fred Andrews sitting at the kitchen, poring over document. He looked up at Jughead and smiled "Hey there Jughead, how was your night?"

Jughead managed a small smile "It was... eventful." He grabbed a root beer from the fridge and continued " I'm heading to bed, goodnight Mr. Andrews" Mr. Andrews got up and stretched "I think I'm going to hit the sack too. Night Jug" Jughead waited for Fred to head upstairs, before he made his way to the basement, where his room was. He flung his backpack on the ground and collapsed on the bed. He covered his eyes with his eyes and groaned mentally. This was not how he was expecting the night to go.

"RIIIIING! RIIING!" Jughead bolted upright in a panic, stumbling around until he found his phone. He turned his alarm and blearily rubbed his eyes as he headed to the shower, which helped his sleepiness. His primping done, he headed upstairs to grab a bite before going to school. He poured himself a coffee, put together a bacon sandwich and shouldered his bag. After sending Mr. Andrews and Archie texts about his whereabouts, he set out towards Riverdale High. All through the walk, he debated what he should say to Betty. Should he mention the kids or wait for her to mention it? He decided to let her breach the topic.

As he entered the Blue and Gold room, he could see Betty already hard at work. She looked gorgeous, dressed in a simple lavender sweater, her hair in her signature ponytail. She looked perfect siting there, biting her pen. She looked up at Jughead and smirked before saying "Morning Juggy, I think we won't have to work long today" Jughead swallowed thickly before nodding. They worked side by side in silence, a curtain of awkwardness hanging between them. After a couple hours Betty finally spoke "I think we're ready to post" Jughead looked over her shoulder at the screen, noting their proximity to one another. He replied "yep, do it". He packed his bag as slow as possible, waiting for her to mention last night's events. When she didn't, he cleared his throat and replied, "So I'll look into the Serpents and I'll let you know, okay?" He walked to the door and was about to leave, before Betty said "Wait Juggy, we need to talk" Jughead turned around, his heart pounding in his chest as he faced a decidedly nervous looking Betty. She sighed, before continuing " What happened last night, it was an accident, right?" Jughead's heart plummeted as he mumbled "yeah, yeah it was"

" i mean we're just friends, anything more would be ludicrous" Betty rambled, wringing her hands

"Yeah… see you Betts" jughead muttered as he strode out of the room. As he reached the Andrews home, he was filled with a sense of despair. He paced in the doorway, his mind working in overtime. How was he supposed to act like everything was normal? He angrily slammed his fist into the brick wall of the home. Searing pain shot up his arm and he fell to the ground "SHIT!" He yelled, and slowly stood back up, examining his bloody hand. Fred opened the door in a hurry to find Jughead with a bloody hand.

"Jughead?! What happened to you buddy?" Fred ushered him inside and gingerly examined his hand.

"I punched the wall Mr. Andrews. I'm alright"

"The hell you're not! Wait right here, let me get my first aid kit" Fred rushed off, leaving Jughead to wallow in his own sadness. Fred returned soon, kit in tow. He gently bandaged Jughead's hand. once he finished, he placed his hand on Jughead's shoulder and asked, "is everything alright Jug?"

Jughead angrily wiped his eyes and responded "No, I'm not. I've had a crush on Be- a girl for as long as I can remember, and I finally kissed her recently. Now she says that kiss was a mistake and the thought of our relationship is ludicrous. I don't even know what to do."

Fred sighed, and responded "Jug, your story sounds exactly like mine and Mary's." At Jughead's incredulous look, Fred smiled and continued " I had been in love with her, but when I told her that, she was so nervous that she turned me down. Nevertheless, I persisted, and well, here we are." He clapped jughead on the shoulder "Go get your girl Romeo"

Jughead grinned at him, before asking "Can I borrow your ladder Mr. Andrews?" Fred raised his eyebrow and replied "yeah, it's in the garage, need help?" Jughead sprinted out of the room, calling over his shoulder "No thanks I got it". He dragged the ladder across Betty's yard and propped it up under her window. He quickly scaled up and peeked in side, happy to see that she was working at her desk. Swallowing nervously and squaring his shoulders, he knocked at the window. Betty turned around and gasped before quickly opening the window "Hey there, Juliet" said Jughead with what he hoped was an air of confidence.

"Juggy? What are you doing here?" Betty asked incredulously.

"I really need to talk to you. Can I come in?"

"Yeah…" Betty moved to the side and let Jughead in. He climbed into the room and gave Betty a nervous grin, which she reciprocated, before asking "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Jughead nodded and exhaled shortly before beginning "Here's the thing, Betty, I lied this morning. About that kiss being a mistake. Truth is, I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember. But I never said anything to you because I knew you didn't feel the same and I didn't want to ruin what friendship we did have. "Betty's eyes filled with tears as Jughead forced himself to continue "Last night, that kiss, it was one of the best moments of my life. That's probably why it hurt so much when you called it a mistake. The main reason I'm here today, is to tell you that I'm not ready to give up on you. I'll wait for you, however long it takes, because _I love you Elizabeth Cooper_."

Betty slowly walked towards him, and cupped his face "What took you so long Juggy? I've been hoping you'd say that for years!" whispered Betty. Jughead's eyes widened as he asked, "Why did you say it was a mistake Betty?"

"I was nervous! If I told you that I liked you and you didn't, I don't know what I would do" She lowered her head in shame.

"Hey," Jughead placed two fingers under her chin and gently tipped her head up until she was looking at him "It's alright. We were both nervous" Betty gave a choked laugh and nodded, tears freely streaming down her face. Jughead pecked her softly on the lips, then rested his forehead on hers.

"Does this… Does this mean we're together?" Betty breathed. Jughead chuckled and replied, "I'm afraid it does"

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 _A/N : Wow! Thanks to all of you who favorited my story and everyone who left reviews (Wasabi-Badger, violet1429, and Guest)! Y'all are so awesome, and I'm soo happy you guys like the story :) I know my updates haven't been very consistent, and I'm sorry! Since this is my first multi chapter fanfic, I'm still trying to figure out an updating schedule. So, I plan to update twice a week, once during the weekend, and once in the middle of the week (Wednesday or Thursdayish). I plan to make this fanfic about 7-8 chapters long, but I'm not done outlining it so it may be less/more._

 _Whew! That was a long note! As always, please review and if you like what you see, please consider following this story, so you get a notification when it updates!_


	4. Part 4

_A/N: I'm so sorry I took so long to update! Things have gotten super hectic at school, so I haven't had time to catch up. Thanks to all of you who favorited my story, and please make sure to leave me a review, because it can be super helpful! Now, on to Chapter 4!_

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After a blissful afternoon spent lazily watching movies with Betty, Jughead begrudgingly made his way back to the Andrews' because her parents would arrive soon. As he entered the house, he was greeted by Fred Andrews "So, I take it the girl agreed" Jughead smiled sheepishly and nodded as a red flush colored his cheeks. Fred grinned and clapped his hand on Jughead's shoulder "Archie's upstairs. Do you boys want to go out for dinner tonight?"

"Sure Mr. Andrews. Thanks" Jughead bounded up the stairs to Archie's room, where he found the ginger on his bed, lazily playing a video game. He smiled as Jughead entered, before reaching across the bed, and handing him a second controller. The two boys played in silence, until Archie spoke suddenly "Hey, where were you all day?" Jughead glanced at him before responding slowly " I was with Betty. We were, uh, working on the article, y'know?" Archie nodded absentmindedly, his focus back on the game. Jughead sighed quietly, glad that Archie didn't press too much into the matter. Soon enough, Mr. Andrews called for them, and they headed out to the local pizza place for dinner. As they entered, Jughead spotted Betty at a booth with her parents. As she made eye contact with him, Betty blushed slightly, and gave him a small wave, which he responded with a wink and a nod. As fate would have it, their server sat the three men right next to Betty and her family. Throughout the meal, they would give each other secretive smiles, which no one caught onto except for Fred, who smiled knowingly at the couple when they weren't looking

The next day, Jughead and Archie walked to school together, chatting animatedly all the way. Once they reached school, Jughead slipped into the Blue and Gold, where he found Reggie sitting at the table, working at the table. He looked up at jughead and smirked, causing Jughead to scowl in return, as he chucked his backpack onto the floor. Reggie got up and stretched, before sauntering over to Jughead, who was staring furiously at the murder board, trying to concentrate. Reggie tapped him on the shoulder and began "look, buddy, you don't need to get so pissed at me. I just came here to let you guys know that I'm done with the article. It's not like I'm after your girl or anything." Jughead turned to Reggie, a mixture of surprise and confusion etched on his face. Reggie chuckled before continuing " I see how you two look at each other. I'm not that blind. Anyways, I got to go. Good luck" Reggie slung his backpack onto his shoulder before walking out of the classroom, leaving Jughead dumbfounded for perhaps the first time in his life. He shook his head, before bringing out his laptop.

Betty joined him soon after, greeting him with a soft kiss. She sat close by him and the pair began work decoding the notes. Reading Jason's note, it was apparent that he loved Polly. It was also apparent that Jason was involved with the serpents, either because he was doing drugs, or he was dealing them. "How do we know what they wanted with him though Betts?" asked Jughead. Betty sighed and replied, "I guess we'll just have to go to wherever the Serpents are"

Jughead was shocked and exclaimed "Betty, you don't know how dangerous those guys are! If we go to them, it's like a death wish!" Betty bit her lip and nodded pensively. But before she could reply, the bell rang and they had to go to class. During lunch, Betty and Jughead was joined by Veronica, Archie and Kevin. Betty was chatting with Veronica and Jughead couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she was. Jughead smiled and turned back to Archie, and resuming their conversation. As the lunch neared the end, and everyone got up, getting ready to leave Archie tapped Betty on the shoulder and asked her apprehensively "hey Betty, do you want to get a milkshake with me after school? It's on me."

Betty looked shocked, but before she could reply, Jughead stood up and mumbled "I gotta go" before rushing away. As he strode down the hallway, he clenched his hands furiously. He bet anything that Betty would agree to their date. She had been in love with Archie for as long as anyone could remember. After Jughead was just a filler, something to forget Archie with. He entered the Blue and Gold room and stopped in shock as he found Betty standing in front of him, arms crossed. "What the hell Juggy!" She exclaimed, exasperatedly. Jughead sharply before retorting defensively "Well I couldn't just stand there and see Riverdale's power couple finally get together! Let's face it, Betty, I was nothing more than a filler, until Archie finally decided how perfect you were"

Betty slowly walked towards Jughead, and placed her hand on Jughead "how could you even think that Juggy? Don't you know how important you are to me?" When Jughead didn't reply, she continued "it's true that I had a crush on Archie. But that's all in the past. It's you that I want." Jughead stared at her in disbelief, a slow smile erupting on his face. Throwing caution to the wind, Jughead leaned forward and captured her lips with his own. Betty looped her hands around his neck and leaned in closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and angled his head so he could kiss her more deeply. After a while, they broke apart, both with swollen lips. Jughead had a goofy grin on his face as he looked into her beautiful blue eyes. She reciprocated his smile and dropped a small peck on his nose, before whispering "would you like to grab a milkshake with me after school? It's on me." Jughead smiled more broadly before replying, "of course Betty"


	5. Part 5

_A/N: Hey Everyone! Thanks for being patient with me as I write this. This chapter is the longest one that I've written! Thank you so much for your kind reviews. As always, if you like what you read, please do consider leaving me a review, or adding this story to your favorites so you can be updated when I upload a new chapter!. Now, on to Chapter 5!_

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Betty was sitting at her desk, working on the next article for the Blue and Gold, when she got a text, with only two words "come downstairs". A huge grin appeared on her face as she flew downstairs and flung open the door, to find Jughead leaning against the garage with a huge smile on his face. Betty giggled and ran into his arms. They parted, and Betty slipped her hand into his. They walked together to Pops, for lunch, chatting animatedly. After a delicious lunch, Jughead began "Hey Betts, I got you something." Betty looked up curiously. Jughead was never one to give presents. He smiled at her confused expression, and pulled out a small package. Betty gingerly took the package and opened it, gasping in surprise at what laid inside. She lifted out a beautiful bracelet, made of braided leather. A small charm of a hamburger dangled down from it. She giggled before exclaiming "This is so adorable, Juggy! Why did you get this for me though?" Jughead gently took her hands in his own, before replying "I just wanted to give you something to remind me about. See, I have one too!" . He rolled up his sleeve to show her a matching charm that he had hung on to his watch. Betty smiled and leaned across the table, pressing a sweet kiss to Jughead's lips.

After Jughead dropped Betty home, he made his way to the Andrews household, where he found Archie strumming away on his guitar. He stopped as Jughead entered, and joined him on the couch. Jughead turned on the television and they watched silently. Archie suddenly asked, " hey man, what do you and betty when you spend time together?" Jughead looked up at Archie, shocked. He swallowed nervously before responding "Oh, you know, we have to work on the article, and the investigation and stuff" Archie nodded, before declaring "Last time I asked her out, she said you two had work to do. Can't you cover for her for one night?" Jughead was shocked and spluttered "she wouldn't, be interested in you. Besides we have lots of work to do" Archie looked at him strangely before replying, "okay…" Jughead and Archie turned to the TV, watching silently. The air was thick with tension. After a while, Jughead silently got up to go bed, his mind reeling.

The next day, Jughead and Betty met up to discuss the notes. They essentially had more information than the police and they were determined to get the bottom of the mystery. "Do you think the Serpents have some sort of hide out that we could crash ? Maybe that's where we'll find the Cobra" Jughead bit his lip and replied cautiously "well, they do have a bar, in the south side. It's super dangerous though" Betty straightened her shoulders and said determinedly "I think we have to go Juggy. I really want to know what happened" the bell rang and they walked to lunch. As the gang ate their lunch, Betty's bracelet glinted in the sunlight. Veronica pointed at Betty's wrist and shrieked "Oh my gosh B! I LOVE that bracelet"

. Betty blushed and thanked her, flashing Jughead a secretive smile. Archie loudly interjected "Betty are you busy tonight? We should go grab dinner." Betty gaped at him before replying softly "Sorry Arch, Juggy and I have some work to do"

Archie sighed, clearly frustrated "Come on Betty! Who has work on a Friday night?"

"Archie we really need to solve this problem. I don't think either of us will be at peace until we do."

"Do you need to write something? Maybe I can help"

"Actually, we need to go out, we have a tip"

"Well then can't I come along with you, ya know as protection?"

Betty looked helplessly at Jughead, who sighed and spoke up "Fine, Archie, you can come with us" Veronica interrupted "I'm coming too, don't even think about leaving me out" Jughead rolled his eyes and nodded. Betty stood up "Juggy, it's time for class, wanna go?" Jughead got up and gave the gang a half wave before walking away. After they were a safe distance away, Jughead slipped his arm around her shoulders. She smiled gratefully at him, and laid her head on his shoulder, sighing loudly.

After school, Jughead walked home alone. He had already informed the group about the dress code. He wearily made his way to the kitchen and made himself a meat laden sandwich, as he lazily flicked through photos on his phone. He stopped at a picture of himself and betty. It was the night of the party, and Betty had stolen Jughead's phone, insisting on taking a picture. Jughead gazed fondly at how carefree betty looked, her golden ringlets shimmering in the evening sun and her arm casually slung over Jughead's shoulders. Jughead smiled and mused about how so much had changed since that night. After what seemed like hours, he heard a knock on the door. He opened it to find Betty, who looked completely unrecognizable. She wore black pants, and a dark, lacy bralette, and a leather jacket, to complete the outfit. She had ditched her usual delicate makeup, instead choosing to go with dark red lipstick, and a fierce cat eye. She looked completely unrecognizable. Jughead's mind went blank as he fumbled for something to say "uhhh, um you uhh, wow. You look , just wow" Betty smirked before asking "is anyone else at home?" Jughead shook his head vigorously. Betty kicked the door shut with her foot, and grabbed Jughead's collar, pulling him towards her. He crashed his lips against hers, cupping his hands against her cheeks. Betty leaned further into the kiss, moving her arms around his waist and pulling him closer towards her. They walked backwards until Jughead fell onto the couch with an "oomph", betty falling on top of him.

Suddenly, they heard a noise at eh front door, and quickly broke apart, blushing deeply. Betty leaned forward and wiped the lipstick off jughead's lips, then checked her reflection in her phone, and reapplied her makeup. The couple quickly turned on the television, attempting to maintain a casual air. Archie strolled into the room, whistling cheerfully. He smiled broadly at the pair, announcing "We about ready to leave, guys? I think Ronnie's on her way here" he stopped short as he saw betty's outfit. "woahhh…." he said, his eyes roving over her outfit. Betty blushed and zipped up her jacket to prevent his prying eyes. Archie settled down next to betty, who scooted closer to jughead. After a while, Veronica showed up on their doorstep and drove the gang to the bar. As they went, jughead cautioned, "okay, guys, don't make conversation with anyone else but us, okay. You don't know what these guys are capable of.

The group soon reached what appeared to be a dingy looking shack, loud music emanating from the front door. Jughead glanced at Betty, who suddenly looked nervous. He nudged her and gave her an encouraging smile, which seemed to build her confidence as she squared her shoulders and entered the dingy club. As they entered, Jughead noted how the air was thick with cigarette smoke. Through the haze, he could see a group of men and women drinking, smoking, and playing pool. Jughead grabbed Betty's hand and beckoned her over to the bar, where he ordered beer. Betty accepted the cold bottle, before peering out at the crowd. Archie and Veronica soon joined them. "Betty, do ya want to dance with me?" Betty glared at him before hissing "Shhh Archie, we're trying to blend in" Archie turned beet red went silent.

Jughead caught sight of a man with a large cobra tattoo that wound around his arm. He tapped Betty on the shoulder, and tilted his head towards the man. Her eyes widened in realization, and they slowly slipped off their stool. As they made their way over to the man, Jughead wrapped his arm around Betty's shoulders, glaring at the men who were practically salivating at the sight of her. Once they reached the man, Betty cleared her voice and asked "excuse me, can we talk to you ?" The man leaned towards her, smiling widely "Sure, baby girl, why don't we all go out back. There's a lot of privacy if you know what I'm saying." The man's friends guffawed loudly. Jughead furiously grabbed the man's collar before anyone could respond and growled "listen, pal, we're not here to play games. You either come speak with us, or I'm calling the fuzz on you, got it?" The man's eyes darkened, as he ushered them out of the bar into the cool darkness. As they left, Jughead spotted Archie and Veronica, who were still busy talking.

Once they were outside, the man spat " what the hell do you punks want" Jughead frowned and replied "we want to know what happened with Jason Blossom. What did you people do to him?" The man's eyes widened in surprise "You kids with the police or somethin'?" Jughead and Betty shook their heads. The man stared at them, as if deciding whether or not to trust them. Seemingly finding nothing, he kicked at the dirt before replying "I'm not telling you kids anything. You had better get out before you get hurt". Jughead's opened his mouth to protest but Betty caught his arm and gave him a warning glance. Jughead grasped her hand, and went back into the bar, where he found Archie and Veronica poring over a paper napkin full of music notes. He tapped Archie on the shoulder and beckoned him to the door. The group drove home in silence, which was suddenly broken by Betty "Guys, I think we have a tail" Jughead peered through the back window, to find a dingy car, going behind them. Veronica swerved suddenly in an attempt to lose the driver, and the group sighed as the car left. "Veronica, let's just go home." Jughead cautioned. As they reached the Andrews' home, Jughead sighed in relief as the driveway was empty. Veronica parked the car and they got out cautiously. As they were about to walk inside the house, they hear a loud "Hey!" Jughead turned around to find the very car that was following them. Inside sat the man with a cobra tattoo. Jughead's heart dropped. The man continued "You know, you're just like that Blossom kid. Even he didn't know when to stop. And now you're gonna pay the price." Before anyone had time to react, the man took out a black gun and fired it at the group. Jughead threw himself in front of the group. The car quickly sped away, leaving the group behind.

Jughead felt a strong burning sensation in his abdomen, so strong that he thought he would pass out. He looked down to see blood pouring out his stomach. He stumbled, and fell to the ground, clutching his abdomen. Betty rushed towards his side in shock "oh my god Juggy!" Veronica, still in shock, staggered to her side. Jughead felt light headed, as he lifted his hand up to his eyes, and saw bright red. Betty pulled off her jacket and placed that on jughead's waist while pressing on it gently, tears streaming down her face. Archie, his shock worn off, took veronica's keys from her hand and swiftly backed the car out. The car still running, he jogged back to Jughead, easily scooping him up and ran back to the car, betty tearing after him. She sat in the back seat, and Archie laid jughead in the back, his head in her lap. Veronica got in and Archie sped away.

Jughead's vision was blurry around the edges. All he could feel was his stomach, which was throbbing insistently. Betty hiccupped and brushed the bangs away from his forehead, before dropping a small kiss on his brow. He smiled faintly at her. She placed a protective hand over his abdomen in an attempt to stem the flow. Jughead winced, and tried to distract himself by looking up at Betty.

They soon arrived at the hospital and Archie carried Jughead in . The medicos quickly brought in a gurney and Archie gently placed him on it. Betty cupped Jughead's head with her hands and whispered " I love you, Juggy" before dropping an urgent kiss on his lips. Despite his deep pain, Jughead heard everything Betty said, and smiled broadly as he was wheeled into the operating room. Betty walked to the registration counter, and filled out the forms with a trembling hand. Veronica entered, having parked the car. Betty slowly sank into a plastic chair as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks, leaving a streak of red blood. Veronica gently placed her hand on Betty's shoulder, and she threw herself into Veronica's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Archie wrapped his arms around the two girls, and they sat there together, uncertain of what laid ahead.


End file.
